


Five Times Jaskier Said 'I Love You' And The One Time Geralt Finally Caught Up

by Cubi



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:35:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23636176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cubi/pseuds/Cubi
Summary: Jaskier has been telling Geralt he loves him since the very beginning, but he feels like he is subtly rejected every time.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 20
Kudos: 264





	1. I

Forever be damned the moment he uttered those words.

Geralt had just saved him from an alghoul and he was just so _relieved_. He had meant to thank Geralt and probably take a moment to breath before starting to brainstorm for his next song, but the adrenaline coursing through his veins had cancelled his brain-to-mouth filter and Jaskier simply couldn’t stop himself.

 _I love you_.

Geralt had stopped cutting down the beast’s claw and had looked at him with a quite startled expression that was gone as quickly as it had appeared. Maybe he had imagined it after all. The witcher had huffed and gone back to the claw and, okay, maybe Jaskier had known he would be rejected, but he hadn’t expected Geralt to simply ignore his confession like that.

Somehow, that hurt even more.

Their way back to the inn they had been staying at was exceptionally quiet, both of them lost in their thoughts.

“I’m going to go get the reward.” Geralt didn’t wait for an answer as he dismounted Roach and took the alghoul’s claw.

“Yeah, you do that, I’ll wait inside…” Jaskier watched him go, his words becoming quieter with each step the witcher took. Well, things were going to be awkward. Adjusting the strap of his lute, he turned around and entered the inn.

The atmosphere inside was the same as it had been in the morning when they had left: a few patrons here and there minding their own business and probably not very keen on listening to him perform at that moment. It didn’t matter, he wasn’t in the mood either. Jaskier walked up to the innkeeper and ordered a pint of ale, downing it in one go and signaling for another one; he had had his heart broken, he deserved to get as drunk as his body would withstand.

When Geralt finally got back to the inn, he found the bard already working on his fifth drink.

“Quite thirsty, aren’t we?” Jaskier looked up at Geralt with bleary eyes and grunted in response, too out of it to really acknowledge him. “Hm.” Geralt sat in front of him. Before he could ask for a drink of his own, Jaskier sluggishly pushed his jar towards him. He stared at the bard, who kept his eyes on the table as if it were the most interesting thing he had seen in awhile.

“‘Night, Ger’lt.” Jaskier managed to get up on his own and sway past his companion before feeling a tug on his arm and stumbling backwards, somehow managing to keep his balance. “Wha--”

“What’s wrong?” Geralt was looking him straight in the eyes and frowning. Jaskier really didn’t want to deal with him right then.

“‘M drunk.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” The witcher looked him up and down. Jaskier sighed deeply, looked at Geralt and smiled miserably at him.

“I am fine.”

Geralt was taken aback by the sadness with which his friend had mumbled that seemingly shallow statement and slowly let him out of his grip, his eyes searching for _something_ in Jaskier’s face. The bard stood still a few moments and then resumed his retreat.

By the time the sun rose again, everything would be back to normal.


	2. II

Geralt hissed.  _ Again _ . So what if Jaskier was dressing his wounds less carefully than usual? It was Geralt’s fault anyway.

“Oh shut up,” the bard huffed exasperated “you’ve been through worse.”

“During a hunt, not after one.” Geralt grunted and tried to get Jaskier to stop so he could tend to the deeper wounds for himself.

“Stop moving. So you’re telling me this hurts more?”

“No, but it’s annoying.”

“You’re annoying. I said stop moving, damn it!” Jaskier tried to fix him with a glare, but the witcher remained impassive. “You know, I won’t always be here to do this.” A few moments went by, neither of them speaking, the atmosphere was suddenly too heavy for comfort; true as it was, it didn’t make it easier for any of them to accept that it would eventually happen.

One day Jaskier would leave Geralt behind, alone and mourning.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Jaskier started babbling again.

“But while I am actually here, you will let me care for you. And just to make it clear, no, I’m not asking for permission.”

Geralt finally resigned himself to his fate and sighed deeply. Once Jaskier was satisfied with his work, he let the witcher go hunt their dinner while he fetched some wood to make a fire. Oh, what he wouldn’t do for a warm bath and a bed…

Still, he couldn’t deny he liked being able to give his undivided attention to his witcher and catch glimpses of the man hidden beneath that stoic façade. However broken his heart was after all those years of longing, it still stubbornly held onto the little things, like Geralt being careful not to move too much to avoid disarranging the bandages Jaskier had ‘carefully’ covered him in, or letting him play his lute and sing for as long as he wanted to without shutting him up.

When he heard Geralt whisper a  _ thank you _ , he couldn’t help but smile brightly and fall deeper in love.

“Anytime.”

Geralt seemed to be considering something.

“Why?”

“Why what, Geralt?”

“Nevermind.”  _ Why are you still here with me? Why do you care? _

Jaskier prided himself on understanding what the witcher left untold most of the time, so it didn’t surprise any of them when he actually answered.

“Clearly because I love you.”

Maybe it was how casually Jaskier said it, as if it was something so painfully obvious that it shouldn’t be necessary to say out loud, or maybe because it was so  _ Jaskier _ , but Geralt didn’t even consider the statement as anything else than the bard being overly dramatic; so he scoffed, turning his attention back to the pair of dead hares that laid in front of him.

If only Geralt had let his eyes linger a little longer on Jaskiers face, he would have realized how wrong he had been.


	3. III

“You’re so handsome.” The woman at his side slurred.

“And you are drunk.”

It was late, the inn was full of drunk patrons that were being entertained by an equally drunk Jaskier, and Geralt just wanted to go to their room to enjoy the quiet of the night. It had been a rough week: there had been no monsters to take care of and they were running out of coin. Jaskier had suggested they stopped at the village they were currently in; if there wasn’t any contract waiting for them at least the bard could try to get some coin doing his thing. And if the amount at Jaskier’s feet was anything to go by, he was doing a pretty good job.

“And now…” Jaskier started, stumbling to a nearby table and sitting on top of it, “I’d like to end the night with something a bit more… personal, if my delightful audience deems fit?” Various cheers were heard here and there and the bard started strumming the lute.

Geralt had been purposely ignoring the woman at his side, now leaning heavily on him, when he heard Jaskier start singing a ballad he hadn’t heard before. Curiosity got the best of him and he glanced at him, realizing that Jaskier was already looking at him. He was blushing slightly from the alcohol and the physical effort of having been singing and prancing all night, his clothes were slightly disarrayed and his face had a bittersweet expression on. He looked  _ beautiful _ and Geralt almost forgot to pay any mind to the song. The ballad was quite obviously a torch song, Jaskier acting was being too good, as if he really longed for someone; the witcher felt something  _ ugly _ stir inside him.

_ ‘I love you’ _ Jaskier had sung midsong, glazed eyes looking at him as if he was the only person in the room, and for a moment, for a painfully short moment, Geralt let himself believe he was the object of Jaskier’s affections, that the bard had composed such a piece  _ for him _ .

He gulped down what little ale remained in his tankard and turned to the woman that still hadn’t left his side and was more inebriated at each passing moment. If alcohol wouldn’t get Jaskier out of his head then maybe a more  _ dynamic _ distraction would. Finally accepting the lady’s advances, he asked the innkeeper for another room.

“Fuck.”

_ Of course _ once he had paid and they were already in the room the woman passed out. Of course. Because fate hated Geralt exactly as much as he hated it. He laid the unconscious woman on the bed, covered her with the blanket and then laid down by her side, facing away from her; right then he couldn’t share a room with Jaskier, not after whatever the hell had happened downstairs.

After watching Geralt disappear with the woman in the middle of his damned love confession, Jaskier managed to finish the ballad and collect the coin the patrons had tossed at his feet. A few men and women were tearful and there was a heavy silence for a moment before the soft chatter resumed.

He didn’t realize when he had got into bed, or when he had started crying. What had he expected? For Geralt to understand the song and declaring his love for him? Of course the witcher had left, he had better things -or rather, people- to do than listen to the woeful story of a pining bard.

That night, Jaskier fell asleep cursing his heart, in a bed that felt too big and cold.

Breakfast was tense. They sat at the same table, but didn’t interact with each other beyond giving a nod in acknowledgement.

“Good morning.” A voice at Geralt’s side broke the silence. The woman from the night before smiled at them. She didn’t remember much but was certain that nothing had happened, much to her regret. However, she was grateful for not having been taken advantage of when she couldn’t consent. She leant down and kissed Geralt’s cheek to show her appreciation.

Geralt sat very still, as if the slightest of movements could set off something terrible.

Jaskier stood, eyes downcast and smiling tightly.

“Take your time, I’ll wait outside.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate making Jaskier suffer but I promise he will get his happy ending.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like this. If there's any typo or mistake, please let me know: English isn't my first language.


End file.
